Updated on March 13, 2024.
Obesity or extra weight can put added strain on the heart. But research shows that losing even just a small amount weight, can help ease that burden and improve heart health. In fact, there is some evidence that losing as little as 5 percent of body weight could help reverse some of the unhealthy physical effects that obesity has on the heart muscle. So for someone that is 200 pounds, losing just 10 pounds could make a difference.
How extra weight affects the heart
Gaining extra pounds can affect the size of the heart and lead to thickening of the heart muscle. When the heart muscle gets too thick, it has a harder time pumping blood and relaxing between heartbeats. That could lead to problems like heart disease and heart failure (when the heart muscle is so damaged that it cannot pump blood efficiently enough to meet your body's needs).
But in a 2015 study of more than 2,300 people published in European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, imaging tests showed that every 5 percent weight loss resulted in a greater than 1 percent improvement in the heart's structure and function. The researchers also saw beneficial changes with even smaller amounts of weight loss.
Benefits of weight loss
Researchers aren't exactly sure how losing weight helps transform the heart muscle, but the benefits of weight loss to other health conditions may play a role. Weight loss can help lower blood pressure, decrease inflammation, and improve blood sugar control. All of these benefits may also protect the heart.
